The Proper Technique for Running Uphill and Downhill

We know what is coming. We know it won’t be more than a few seconds before we feel that familiar burn in our legs, we find it harder and harder to breathe, and once we reach the top, it feels like forever before our legs feel normal again.

How do we know?

We are right there with you.

But, by using the correct running form for running up and down hills, you can spare your body some of the pain, and feel confident that not only are you going to make it up the hill, but you are going to make it down the other side in the best way possible.

Before, we talked about when and why you should train on uphills and downhills, and today we would like to show you exactly how to run hills.

A lot of runners just don’t run with proper form when they go uphill or downhill.

What constitutes “good” hill running form is fairly easily to understand once we review a few very basic truths about running uphill and downhill.

Ready to make hills slightly easier?

Let’s do it:

How to Run Correctly Uphill

As we all know:

When running up a hill, you’ve got to do extra work to overcome gravity.

This requires your body to recruit more muscles in your legs to overcome the force of gravity and carry you up the slope.

Speaking of the incline:

The fact that the ground is slanted also alters your footstrike, forcing you to transition to more of a mid/forefoot-striking style and increasing the forces going through your calves and ankles.

No wonder our calves are often sore the day after hills!

This is ultimately a good thing when it comes to performance, as it allows you to get more “rebound” from the ground.

Some energy from the impact is stored in your calf muscles and is then released again when you straighten your leg and drive off the ground.

Runners running uphill should NOT lean forward at the waist

Most runners’ natural reaction when they start running up a hill is to lean into it, usually by bending forward at the waist.

While it is true that some degree of forward lean is necessary when running up a hill, a lot of people lean much too far forward.

This negatively impacts your uphill running ability in several ways:

Makes it much harder to use your hip flexors correctly and bring your knee up

Stops you pushing off the ground effectively

To push off the ground and take advantage of the additional energy stored in your calf muscles, you need to fully extend your leg straight behind you, which is achieved most effectively when your upper body is not slanted forward.

When you “stand tall” when running up a hill, it makes it easier for your glutes to extend your leg behind you.

But since a downhill allows you a “free” increase in running speed (since gravity is giving back all the energy you spent going up the hill), you generally want to take advantage of this, especially if you are racing on a hilly course.

When you lean back, you throw your center of gravity behind your body, requiring you to wait until your feet have passed it to start generating force again.

You also have to weigh the cost of the increased braking forces from leaning back against the increased impact forces of running faster down the hill by leaning “into” the downhill.

While there haven’t been any scientific studies on this, I suspect that it’s better to lean into a hill, since at least in that case your running mechanics are not as different.

It’s also important not to lean too far forward on downhills, lest you find yourself careening out of control.

Remember, you can always lean back if you are running down a particularly steep downhill and need to back off.

Once you’ve reached the end of the downhill, you can still “coast” for a bit on the speed boost you’ve gained, but do take care to slow to your normal effort eventually.

What Else Can I Do to Run Faster on Hills

Efficiently running hills boils down to understanding what you’re up against.

On the way up a hill, you are battling against gravity, so you should “stand tall” with a slight forward lean, drive your legs back and lift your knees up to take advantage of the additional power generated at your ankle, and keep your torso centered over your pelvis.

On the way down a hill, gravity is helping you along, so don’t be afraid to “lean and go” down a hill, again keeping your torso centered over your pelvis (relative to the slope of the hill).

Quicken up your stride to stay balanced, and maintain an even effort, despite the fact that your pace is increasing going down a hill.

Mental cues like “stand tall,” “drive your hips,” and “lean and go” are great for hill running, since they serve as quick reminders to fix up your running form, especially when you are tired.

If you’re having trouble visualizing these concepts, read our previous post on how to run hills, which has some good illustrations.

References

2 Responses on “The Proper Technique for Running Uphill and Downhill”

i allways bent my knees, push hip little back, and lean forward when downhill running, and it works well with my minimalist shoes. Yesterday i tried to lean back, but today morning it developed a massive patellar pain in my right knee. Be carefull with leanin when running downhill!

Thanks for sharing Laszio. That is exactly what we try to remind runners. Your pain may not be a direct result of leaning backwards, but it is important to lean forward at the ankles when running downhill. Hope you feel better!